Iverson, along with his two-man crew, flew a private jet more than 2,200 miles from Anacortes, Wash. to San Antonio, Texas, to pick up Walker and his family for their first return to home Oregon since Walker lost his leg in combat.

Last September, Walker's left leg was amputated below the knee after he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

Jason Walker glad to be back homeArmy Specialist Jason Walker returned home for the first time since he was severely injured by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan last September.

Iverson is one of 2,300 aircraft owners and pilots registered with the Veterans Airlift Command, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that offers free flights to wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and their families.

Pilots like Iverson fly their own planes and pay for their own gas, but also rely on donations to subsidize flight costs. They tend to fly in smaller, private airports, so veterans can avoid large crowds at airports.

Since the nonprofit started in November 2006, volunteer pilots have flown 8,600 passengers, said Walt Fricke, CEO and founder of Veterans Airlift Command.

Walker said his wife Ashlie heard about the nonprofit through another military wife. They applied for a flight and waited to hear back. Walker said the organization paired him with pilots who could best relate to his needs.

He spoke with Iverson on the phone several times before last Wednesday's flight.

"They said, people need to be doing this for" other veterans, Walker said. "They have their other jobs, but this is what they do in their personal time. It didn't cost me anything."